Out running the past
by TopherBennett
Summary: Sequel to "Bennett's visit". Bennett has joined the L.A. Dollhouse but not everyone's pleased. Topher/Bennett.


**Hey guys, this is the sequel to "Bennett's visit". Hope you all like the first chapter and remember to review! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dollhouse, all rights go to Joss Whedon and Fox.**

* * *

A month had passed since Bennett had moved to the L.A. Dollhouse and things were becoming uncomfortable for the programmer. Her and Topher had been going well, better then well actually. He had taken Bennett out to lunch every day and played so much video games that she had finally got her name on the score board. The rest of the L.A. staff were not so welcoming. Adelle had been watching Bennett's every move, even though the work had been done a lot quicker than usual and more engagements had been booked she still didn't trust the young genius. Boyd thought Bennett being in the same house as Echo was a big mistake and had left Ivy to run all of Echo's imprints while Topher took Bennett out of the house. Ivy had gotten over her old crush on Topher and her and Bennett had become close friends.

"I know I said I was going to take you somewhere fancy for lunch today but you wanna just go to Maccas?" Topher asked, as he put an imprint wedge into the chair and waved his hands about gesturing Foxtrot to sit down.

Bennett smiled. "McDonalds is fine, since I've moved to L.A. I have been craving junk food a lot."

"I wonder why." Topher replied sarcastically, smirking as he nodded to Bennett who was at the imprint computer.

She clicked a button and the chair reclined back.

Topher walked closer to her with a small smile on his face. "Still, you sure you'd be cool with take away food again? That's pretty much all we had this week."

"Yes, it's different. Though I have been eating junk food for about a month it's still very different, it all is." Bennett turned around from the computer and faced Topher. "In a good way." She quickly added.

"I'm glad you're liking the place, it is pretty awesome." Topher stopped when he saw Bennett's smile fade as she watched Boyd and DeWitt step out of the elevator outside the window. "Hey. Don't let them bug you, you've done nothing wrong. I guess boss one and two are just paranoid."

Bennett gave Topher a soft smile and turned her attention to Foxtrot as the chair raised. "Hello Sam, how are you feeling?"

"Just fab! Ohh, can I go see Rob now?" The newly imprinted active asked.

"Sure, Mr. Jenkins will take you to the car." Bennett said, raising her arm towards the tall handler standing next to the chair.

"Thank you, _Jenkins_." Foxtrot grinned, stepping into the elevator with him.

"Everything go alright with the imprint?" DeWitt asked as she and Boyd walked into the programming centre.

Bennett became nervous at their presence and quickly turned to the computer. "It seems so."

"She did great; she's totally got the hang of the L.A. system." Topher added.

Bennett looked over at him and smiled. "It's not that different than D.C.'s but yes; I have gotten the hang of it."

"Good. Then perhaps you would be ready to imprint Echo for her next engagement tomorrow morning?" DeWitt said.

Bennett turned away from the computer to face DeWitt. "Tomorrow morning?"

"Woah, that's kinda soon don't you think?" Topher said, he was worried that Bennett's old hatred for Caroline would surface again. He had tried his best to keep DeWitt from making her run Echo's engagements for a while, which was hard since Echo was the most requested doll in the house. He knew if Bennett freaked out or did something wrong it would be the perfect excuse for DeWitt to send her back to D.C.

"If you are not ready I will ask Ivy to run the imprint while you and Mr. Brink are out."

Bennett quickly shook her head. "No, no I am ready. I just didn't think it would be so soon."

"She's booked in for nine o'clock. Make sure you're ready by then." DeWitt turned and walked away.

Boyd followed and stood next to DeWitt on the balcony as she watched the actives walk around below. "I don't think this is a smart plan."

"If Miss Halverson thinks she's ready to face her past then we have to trust her judgement." Adelle put her hands on the railing.

"And what if she's not?" Boyd asked.

Adelle paused. She looked over at the window to the programming centre to see Topher and Bennett smiling and joking with each other. "Then we will deal with that outcome when, and if, it occurs..."

* * *

The next day, Bennett rushed to get the imprint from the back. Topher followed her everywhere she went, watching over her shoulder.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Topher asked.

"Yes, Topher. I'm just as ready as the last five times you asked me." Bennett looked over at her nervous boyfriend, giving him a half smile. She tried her best to seem cool with everything, but the truth was she wasn't.

Topher raised his arms, pretending to protect himself. "Alright, alright. Just making sure. I don't want the boss lady pushing you into anything."

"You care, I get it. And thank you, but, I have to do this. I have to prove to them that I'm over the past."

"I know but it's only been a month you-" Topher was quickly interrupted by Bennett.

"Can handle it." She walked closer to Topher, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Please trust me, if you don't believe I can do this no one will."

"I trust you, one hundred percent. I just don't understand the female mind very well, it's a mystery. That's why I have to ask you what you're thinking... Every five minutes."

Bennett giggled and leaned in to kiss him.

The couple broke away from the kiss as Adelle and Boyd walked into the imprint room with Echo.

Bennett's cheerful expression quickly faded. Topher knew she wasn't as ready as she said she was.

"Ah..." Bennett paused. "Hello, Echo. I see you're ready for your treatment. Please take a seat." Bennett put on a fake smile as she gestured towards the chair. She moved behind it and put the imprint in.

"Yes, thank you. I enjoy my treatments." Echo eased into the chair, resting her head back as it started declining.

Bennett bit her nails as she watched the blue light flash near Echo's head.

"Everything alright, Miss Halverson?" Adelle asked the nervous programmer.

Bennett took her hand away from her mouth. "Ah, yes." She had been telling herself to remember not to fidget, but the fact that Boyd was standing in the room wasn't helping. He had been keeping a watchful eye on her lately and it was starting to scare Bennett.

The chair rose with a newly imprinted Echo in it.

"I can't." The words escaped from Bennett's mouth. She looked at Topher. "I'm sorry, I can't." She ran off into the back halls of the programming centre.

Topher looked at DeWitt, to Boyd and back at DeWitt again.

"Well, it seems as though Miss Halverson has been lying to us."

"Lying? What? She's just... It's been a long day."

DeWitt gestured to Echo who was looking around at everyone. "Can I go see Ryan now?"

"Yeah. Ah, Boyd can ya show her to the van? I gotta... Yeah." Topher ran off to the back to check on Bennett.

Sitting in the dark, Bennett cried. She hugged her knees with her right arm. "I tried." She sobbed as Topher approached her.

"I know." He said quietly, sitting down beside her. Bennett could hear the fear in his voice.

"They're going to send me back? Aren't they?"

"No. I won't let them."

Bennett wiped the lingering tears from her eyes and gave him a small smile. "They don't like me. And now they have an excuse to send me back."

"They just need time to get used to you."

"It's been a month!" Bennett snapped. She took a deep breath trying to calm herself down. "I-I just don't want to leave here. I don't want to leave you."

Topher leaned over and hugged her as she started crying again.

* * *

"What's your opinion Mr. Langton?" Adelle sat at her desk with her legs crossed facing Boyd.

"I think we should send her back. We already have a programmer, one that doesn't want to kill Echo."

"Yes. But I don't suppose he'd take the news well. Keeping what we have now is better than having one blubbering mess of a programmer."

"He'd have to adjust."

"You seem relieved to have the opportunity to see Bennett removed, happy even. I assume your relief is more to do with Echo's well-being and your own sense of self-gratification than the needs of the house. So... Mr. Langton... keep watching her. I want to see everything that girl does in this house." DeWitt turned around to face her computer but soon turned back when she realized Boyd wasn't going anywhere.

"It's just a matter of time until she hurts Echo." Boyd retorted.

"I won't let it come to that Mr. Langton. Now return to your duties."

* * *

Topher had calmed Bennett down and now the two of them where sitting on the couch in the programming centre. She was leaning her head on his chest while he had his arm around her. Topher looked down at her eyes which were still red from crying.

"I'm ok." Bennett said, noticing him looking at her with concern. "I don't know what happened. I thought I was over it."

"It's a lot to get over." Topher paused. "And I don't think the boss lady will be too mad, you didn't kill anyone so I say it went well."

"But I was over it, until... Until I was face to face with Caro...Echo." Bennett sat up straight and looked down at her dead arm in its sling. "It brought everything back."

Topher took his hand away from her and buried his face in his palms. Exhaling, while he ran his hands through his hair. He wasn't good in these types of situations he was the funny guy that added sarcasm to the conversation, he hardly ever had to comfort someone. All he could do was blame himself, DeWitt had given him the orders for Bennett to imprint Echo and he had seen the signs that Bennett couldn't handle it. "It's my fault. I knew you weren't ready to face Echo."

"No." Bennett shook her head. "I was fine, until the end. I just couldn't take it anymore."

"Hey, don't worry about it. You can run Echo's treatment next time"

Bennett's face grew worried.

"Ah... Much, much later on." Topher quickly added. He lifted himself up off the couch and offered his hand to her. "Come on." He said with a smile. He knew when he smiled at her she'd smile back, it was a reflex.

It soon worked and she smiled at him for a few short seconds, taking his hand and getting up off the couch. "Where are we going?" Bennett asked.

"It's a surprise." Topher grinned while leading her by the hand down the dollhouse stairs.

"I'm not sure if I like surprises."

"Well you'll like this one." Topher stopped as he saw someone moving from inside Dr. Saunders old office. It was too early for any actives to be back for examinations so the office was normally empty at this time.

"Topher?" Bennett asked, looking over at her boyfriend who looked as if he saw a ghost.

"I ah..." He let go of Bennett's hand and walked over to the door.

Bennett didn't understand, Topher hadn't told her much about the old doctor who left. And she hadn't seen Topher act this strange before, and that was saying a lot since Topher could act pretty strange. "What's going on?" She asked as he opened the door.

The figure inside took the white doctors coat off its rack and turned around to face the programmers.

"Dr. Saunders?"

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**Thanks for reading! Remember to review, I love hearing what you guys think! :)**


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